Website Monitoring & Server Monitoring Blog/blog/
The place where we monitor our thoughtsen-UShourly1Several US government websites are now inaccessible after TLS certificates expire during the shutdown. /blog/several-us-government-websites-are-now-inaccessible-after-tls-certificates-expire-during-the-shutdown-
Fri, 11 Jan 2019 20:50:42 -0600

In a government shutdown all that is considered non-essential stops. As we can see now, renewing the TLS certificates is obviously non-essential. Reportedly, more than 80 TLS certificates have expired, leaving dozens of government-related websites inaccesssible. The Department of Justice, NASA and the Court of Appeals are among the sites that have been affected. Important services have been impacted because of this as well, including payment portals.

To better understand what happens when a SSL/TLS certificate expires and what are the risks, check out our recent blog post on the topic: http://bit.ly/WSPCertExp

The good news is that most major government websites are up and running and they are not going down anytime soon (at least not for this reason). Their certificates are not set to expire for many more months.

We do not expect the certificates to be updated until the government opens up again. We will keep you posted if any additional information is available.

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) vs Native Apps is a hot topic of debate in the market. Everyone is sharing their thoughts on what is similar in both the app types, what makes them apart, and who will rule the market in future. I’m sure you will also have your own points noted in a notebook to speak on this topic.

But, do you have enough to discuss Progressive Web Apps vs Regular Web Apps? Do you know what makes PWAs differ from the regular web apps? If not, this article will be a good read for you. Here we will look into what is a Regular Web App and what is a Progressive Web App, and discuss their significant differences and future predictions.

Regular Web App

A regular web app, in simpler terms, is a website that is designed to be accessible on all the mobile devices such that the content gets fit as per the device screen. It is designed using web technology stack (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Ruby, etc.) and operates via a browser. They offer various native-device features and functionalities. However, it completely depends on the browser the user is using. In other words, it might be possible that you are able to access a native-device feature on Chrome but not on Safari or Mozilla Firefox because the browsers are incompatible with that feature.

Progressive Web App

As coined by Alex Russell, Progressive Web App (PWA) is a type of regular web app, but with some extras that enables it to deliver exemplary user experience. It is a perfect blend of desktop and mobile application experience to give the best of both the platforms to the end users.

Now as you have an idea of what the terms Regular Web App and Progressive Web App (PWA) mean, let’s jump directly into the features that make PWAs different from the traditional web apps:

PWAs vs Regular Web Apps: What’s the Difference?

A Progressive Web is different and better than a Regular Web app with features like:

1. Native Experience

Though a PWA runs on web technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) like a Regular web app, it gives user experience like that of a native mobile application. It can use the majority of the native device features, including push notification without relying on the browser or any other entity. It offers so seamless and integrated user experience that it is quite tough for one to differentiate between a PWA and Native application by considering its look and feel.

2. Ease of Access

Unlike other mobile apps, PWAs do not demand longer download time and make memory space available for installing the applications. The PWAs can be shared and installed by a link, which cut down the number of steps to install and use the application. Also, these applications can easily keep an app icon on the user home screen, which makes the app easily accessible to the users and helps the brands to remain in the minds of the users and improve the chances of interaction.

3. Faster Services

PWAs can cache the data and serve the user with texts stylesheets, images, and other web content even before the page loads completely. This lower down the waiting time for the end users and help the brands to improve the user engagement and retention rate, which eventually add value to their business.

4. Engaging Approach

As already shared, the PWAs can employ push notifications and other native device features more efficiently. Their interaction does not depend on the browser user uses. This eventually improves the chances to notify the user regarding your services, offers, and other options related to your brand, and keep them hooked to your brand. In simpler words, PWAs let you maintain the user engagement and retention rate.

5. Updated Real-Time Data Access

Another plus point of PWAs is that these apps get updated on their own. They do not demand the end users go to the App Store or other such platforms to download the update and wait till it is installed.

In this app type, the web app developers can push the live update from the server which reaches to the apps residing on the user’s devices automatically. Therefore, it makes easier for the app developers to provide the best of the updated functionalities and services to the end users, without forcing them to update their app.

6. Discoverable

PWAs reside in web browsers. This implies higher chances to optimize them as per the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) criteria and improve the Google rankings like that in the case of websites and other web apps.

7. Lower Development Cost

Progressive web apps can be installed on the user device like a native device, but it does not demand submission on App Store. This makes it far cost-effective than native mobile applications while offering the same set of functionalities.

Besides, this escape from App Store submission also enable the brands to quickly enter the market and earn higher ROI.

Now as you know what is PWA and what makes it better than a regular web app, what’s next? Wondering if PWA is popular in the market or not?

As per the market researches, 87% of the digital market experience relies on these web applications, and since PWAs are the better version of web apps, investing in PWA development is a profitable decision.

Various reputed brands Uber, Instagram, Pinterest, Trivago, Starbucks, and Twitter lite have invested in developing and are enjoying the best perks of the opportunity. For example, Twitter Lite observed a significant rise of 65% in pages per sessions and decrease by 20% in bounce rate by switching to Progressive web application. Alibaba revealed that they found 76% more conversions on the mobile web, with a rise of 30% and 14% in the monthly active users (MAU) on Android and iOS platform, respectively.

Also, Google was planning to replace Chrome apps with PWAs by the end of 2018. This is a clear indication that PWAs will definitely have a wider market in the future, which implies developing a PWA is a thoughtful and profitable act.

]]>8 Features your e-commerce website must have to make it big/blog/8-features-e-commerce-website-must-have
Wed, 12 Dec 2018 14:39:53 -0600

If you are running an online business, your sales will greatly depend on the quality and availability of your e-commerce website. While the quality of the product is equally important, it is your website that tempts potential consumers to buy your product. In an age when the majority of customers search and buy products or services online before visiting a store, the quality of your e-commerce website becomes more important in shaping public perception about your product. To ensure that your online business outshines your competitors, it must include certain features that would not only drive traffic to your website but also prove effective in turning that traffic into consumers. In this article, we compiled a list of some features that your e-commerce website must have to make it big in the e-commerce market.

1. User-friendly website

For an e-commerce website to attract customers, it must provide relevant information without hassle. 76% of consumers suggested that the most important characteristic of any website is its ease of use. A successful e-commerce website must also provide easy navigation so that a customer can easily access your products. A website with complex navigation is bound to lose traffic as users get frustrated by the complexity of a site. All the products should be structured in proper categories which will make navigation easier for consumers. Your website structure is also critical in search rankings which can drastically change your business performance.

Source: blog.hubspot.com

2. Website Design

A study found that the human attention span has been reduced over time and cited technology the reason behind it. According to a study, it takes only 1/3 of a second for a customer to make a decision on business on their first encounter with it. So, you only have got a fraction of a second to grab customers’ attention and make them take an interest in the product. How can you be certain that the customers get hooked to your product? This is where the design of your e-commerce website comes into play. Make sure that all the website elements including the business logo, search bar, shopping cart, and other information are positioned at the right places on the website. A logo is the visual identity of your business which distinguishes your brand from others. It is therefore important to hire the services of a professional who can take your online business forward with his/her logo and web designing skills.

3. AMP and Mobile optimization

AMP, short for Accelerated Mobile Pages, is a framework developed to facilitate the loading of your website on mobile devices. Since the proliferation of smart devices, it is necessary that your website loads fast on all sorts of devices. A study revealed that almost 40 percent of users will leave your web page if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load. It is pertinent to mention that AMP listings have been officially integrated by Google into its mobile search results, hence, Google might incur a ranking penalty on sites that do not include this feature. Since 57 percent of web traffic now comes from mobile devices, it is important that your e-commerce website is primed for mobile viewing which will increase customer retention and consequently product sales.

4. Product Visuals

Product images and videos are important for all kinds of online businesses. Attractive images and demo videos not only give customers idea about a product but also lure them into buying the product. Make sure that eye-catching images of products are captured from different angles with text directing the user’s attention to a call to action.

5. Customer support and Review sections

An e-commerce website should have contact details, phone numbers, address or instant chat options available so that customers can access them in case they need information or face an issue while placing their orders. It projects a positive image of the business and shows that you take your business seriously and care your customers. Another important feature of an e-commerce website is the section where people can review products. Make sure you monitor this section carefully and address the issues raised by customers with the product. A study revealed that almost 67 percent of consumers’ purchasing decisions are influenced by online reviews. Another research found that 88% of customers value online reviews as much as personal recommendations which shows how vital this section can prove for your e-commerce website and business.

Source: moz.com

6. Payment options

As e-commerce websites have to deal with customers from all over the world and it is possible that they have different payment systems. Therefore, it becomes important that the payment options offered by an online business are diverse so that it can accommodate all the popular payment systems around the world. This includes options like direct bank transfers, cash on delivery, PayPal and credit cards. Keeping diverse payment options makes it possible for everyone to do business with you. Hence, you do not have to miss out potential customers due to a difference of payment method.

7. Security features

Your website security is perhaps the most important of all the features. Due to the cases of hacking and data theft frequently surfacing around the world, customers are skeptical regarding whom they can trust. It is important that your website is updated with all the necessary security features so that customers can confide in you with their crucial data like passwords and credit card information.

8. Social media links and icons

Social media is an integral tool for marketing your product and drive valuable traffic to your e-commerce site if used effectively. It is important that your website contains a listing of social media links including Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and ensure that sharing options are available so that your product and services can reach out to more people. Make sure you take advantage of multi-channel commerce and understand where your valuable audience exists so that you can turn them into consumers. Posting icons for security and payment methods on your website enable visitors to access tools and information that will make their experience with your e-commerce website quite comfortable.

In the present world, blogs and websites are becoming essential for your digital business. Performance of your e-commerce website and application can make or break your growth efforts. Website monitoring alerts you in real time regarding every kind of discrepancies before your customers notice it.

Today, businesses rely on their websites and this reliance is quite extensive indeed. E-commerce websites basically help in creating various touch points between the company and its stakeholders. Customers can find everything online in this digital modern age. Website performance is also highly critical for a good, satisfactory shopping experience for customers, which in turn affects loyalty, revenue, and reputation of your brand.

Importance of your web-assets

We live in an information and knowledge economy that values finding information in an increasingly digital and web world.

Google can penalize your search results ranking if it will find your site slow and produces a poor and bad experience for the user.

In numerous industries, over 90% of purchasing decisions start with the initial online search.

The above-mentioned facts highlight the supreme importance of managing and looking after your website on a regular basis. It ensures your website is both online and performing well. If you are not easily and readily found on searches, because your website is down, you lose customers, sales, and credibility.

source: neilpatel.com

Online customers expect everything to be seamless, from searching to buying a product. If there is a snag in any of the processes, the consequences can be difficult to rebound from, both for the name of your brand and bottom line.

An online store can lose more than tens of thousands of dollars in sales in around 7 hours of downtime. That’s why it is highly imperative to use a service which keeps a steady check on the uptime of your e-commerce website.

Errors Occur

These days, the demand for online shopping is 24 x 7. At times, often during holiday season sales, for example, there is an increase in the traffic and that is the real test of how your website and your high converting e-commerce pages perform. In such scenarios, if the customer faces an unusual delay in loading or encounters a 404 error, it will hamper the customer’s trust and subsequently your sales. E-commerce monitoring can help in dealing with such situations by constantly monitoring the performance and alerting a designated team for technological glitches. This process helps in reducing the chances of a bad shopping experience. This is where companies are increasing the role of mobile, making application to ease the access to their business.

source: statista.com

Top reasons to monitor e-commerce website

There are countless reasons why a company wants to monitor their e-commerce website. Some of them are:

1. Satisfied Customers

If you want to build your brand, position it in the mind and heart of the customer, then the key to this is a happy and satisfied customer. Sales and repeated sale can only occur once you have a bigger pool of satisfied customer. It also helps in propagating a good word of mouth for the business. This holds all truer for customers who have subscriptions to the products as well as services that can access via their cell phones. Many cloud base software services need higher levels of uptime so that the customers remain happy.

However, if the downtime issues keep recurring for a long period of time, then chances are highly likely that your customers may make a move towards the peers.

2. Speed & Performance

The performance of the e-commerce website is vital. It is an important tool in achieving customer satisfaction and motivating your visitors to buy your product or services. Online customers don’t want to wait longer than 2 to 3 minutes for their liked item to load so that they can purchase it. If these customers have to wait for a longer period of time because of the speed of the website, they will probably leave the website and may never come back again. They will also make sure to create a negative word of mouth of the company, which will lead to a huge loss for the company.

3. Reputation

In the current world, where there is an extremely competitive race going on among the companies to take the lead over each other. Reputation has a lot of weight in such a scenario. It is an everyday battle to prove your metal as an online company. If a potential customer visits your website and takes with him a negative feedback, this can be harmful to the name of the firm. You need to make sure everything is streamed line and functioning to its optimum level. The synergy between various segments of your e-commerce website should be evident in the first look to the site.

4. The overall image of the business

Your website is the reflection of your e-commerce business. Your impressions are created in the first look of your site. This makes it a significant facet to the overall business. Whether you have a brick & mortar business, or you have a click & mortar business, a good brand image is fundamental.

One common thing that normally hampers a business outlook is frequent downtime issues. It can severely jeopardize the standing of your online business. Constant monitoring your e-commerce website is the best possible way to prevent unwanted hazards and protect the image of your online existence.

5. Performance Evaluator

E-commerce website monitoring helps in benchmarking the performance of your respective web application and business. This evaluation can be done with a suitable frequency, depending upon the nature of the business company is into. Different industries have different requirements for evaluation. Benchmarking helps in analyzing and comparing the results of the business with the industry and peer’s performance. With all the data easily available, you can easily identify the areas of development and improvement. Once the areas of improvement are identified, a developmental strategy can be created to fill in the loop holes and tap the market with full force.

A Performance Management Strategy will help you in balancing risks and produce a user experience that not only meets customer expectation but exceeds them. E-commerce monitoring is a helpful tool and mechanism to deliver such experience to your precious customers and prospects, and it is one of the things that will help you stand out from other players in the market.

So you are planning to start a new website to promote your business? But have you prepared yourself to invest in building a site from scratch? Well, it is essential to know that be it the e-commerce business or service based site, creating a website from scratch requires good time and money investment. But when you have WordPress, a popular CMS (Content Management System) platform, then why spend extra money over building a site from scratch.

According to this study, WordPress runs 32% of the entire internet and presently has more than 19.5 million websites running under this CMS platform. Some of the top sites worldwide that run on WordPress. This includes- USA Today, CNN, Time.com, National Post, etc. To be more precise, there are 17 posts published in every second on WordPress sites, making it the most preferred CMS platform.

There are two categories in which businesses fall into:

One which doesn't have a website and doesn't have the budget to invest in the website

They have their website but aren’t helping to push their business. It is because they aren't using the right tools to promote.

This is when WordPress comes to the role, which has also increased the demand for selecting the right WordPress development company. A reputed company offering WordPress Development service works on every aspect of developing a site helping the business to reach out to the target audience. Moreover, using the right tools along with proper content development planning will strike a balance between cost and promotion. Since WordPress is free and is an inexpensive hosting platform; small business owners can manage it efficiently.

Let us now check 11 such benefits business owner can have building website on WordPress:

1. A Vibrant Marketplace for Business

The platform has thousands of top-quality free and premium themes and plugins which can suit your business product or service. Customers and visitors when visiting your site, the first thing that comes into their notice is the design which catches their attention. If your website fails to do so you may lose potential customers. So selecting from the vibrant market of themes and plugins, businesses can have the benefit over it.

2. Customization is Easier

Custom WordPress Development services gain the benefit of using this platform because of the easier customization. From the design to the backend, everything is manageable if the theme is a paid version. Be it SEO, content management or placing ads, WordPress offers easy customization for its users, which eventually benefits the website in its ranking.

3. Proper usage of SEO

WordPress is SEO friendly and has well-coded themes helping to build a search engine friendly site. For instance, you will find a number of WordPress SEO Plugins allowing you to optimize contents manually and automatically. Additionally, there are tools available helping to add rich snippets further enhancing the search engine listing. In simple words, WordPress enables the developer to create an SEO properly, which can boost the site ranking.

4. Built-in Blog Capability

WordPress blogs are common and straightforward to use and share. Business websites using WordPress can implement a blogging section to promote existing and new services. If the company has its content management team, then creating keyword rich content and posting it on the blogging part will help in getting more target audience.

5. User-Friendly Development

WordPress has genetic coding themes, user-friendly plugins and easy to maintain features which make its components developers friendly. Any good WordPress development company has experts developers and can efficiently manage WordPress sites.

6. Reliable to Use

Multiple people can manage a WordPress site at the same time led by expert coders, who test the site for smooth functioning. That allows the website has to run without any error and should be quick enough to help in fast browsing. WordPress built websites are highly reliable, making the platform business and user-friendly.

7. The Most Secure Platform

There have been many cases of website information getting breached which invited colossal loss to the business. For instance, an e-commerce site which has millions of customers and their data can be vulnerable to hack, resulting in data loss and customer trust. Since WordPress is the most widely used CMS platforms, coders, and WordPress development services work hard to keep every site theft free. Using modern techniques and tools, web developers can prevent WordPress website getting hacked.

8. Mobile Friendly

This is the most significant benefit any business can have to run the website built on WordPress. According to the statistics, the global mobile using population until January 2018 has reached 3.7 billion. Moreover, there is an increase of 51.2 percent in the use of mobile web surfing. Today, more and more smartphone users are using mobile internet to browse and shop. Since WordPress sites are mobile friendly, businesses can have the benefit of getting traffic out of it. There are hundreds of themes and plugins for WordPress which are mobile friendly and help to create responsive websites.

9. Supports Teamwork

Business-centric WordPress website needs a team for coding and a support. This will help to manage the site from every perspective. The best thing about WordPress is it gives users the ability to work simultaneously on the website with different permissions. The can also support many plugins to make things organized and easy to use. With proper organizing of the site, it makes easy to create content and monitor.

10. Huge Community of Developers

Since WordPress is the most prominent CMS for content, there is a vast set of the community having developers and designers working towards the seamless work of the WordPress sites. Businesses can hire WordPress developer all around the World to manage their site if got stuck due to hacking or due to backend issue. If the budget of the company is reasonable, then hiring an in-house team of developers is also an option.

11. The Scalability Benefit of WordPress

Many organizations building websites on WordPress feel that they need to spend money to get a more professional team. But the good thing is WordPress grows along with the companies using it. Whether the company is a startup or established one, WordPress has a broader reach and serves for around 23 billion pages spread over millions of websites.

Conclusion

There are no second thoughts that WordPress is user-friendly Custom Management System and the most affordable investment for an online business. Running a website built on WordPress is a good investment in the long term. The best thing about WordPress is many professional coders and developers are backing it to work seamlessly. Whether your business belongs to e-commerce or e-learning, hiring professional WordPress developers is a long-term positive investment you can have.

It is free, hence cost-effective; it is regularly updated, therefore the website remains up-to-date. Since top e-commerce and tech companies are running their site on WordPress, you can rest assured that your website will rank ahead without much of an investment.